Southwood School Report Analysis

Southwood School Report

Southwood School had formerly used an inefficient method of recruitment. For instance, the members that were in charge were not efficiently trained, and the interview procedures used by Southwood School were not standardized. Moreover, there existed no scoring criteria, which could result in biases and unfairness in the selection process. In addition, the interview questions included both formal and informal ones. In addition to the assessment of the interview questions inquired by the school, my report will give additional issues that are presumed to be relevant to the recruitment session. It also presents a list of questions that should be asked by the HR and the principal during the potential employee’s interview.

Assessment

One of the most important aspects of the process of recruitment is the questions asked by the director and his management team. “What is your greatest strength?” is a question that is critical when selecting a candidate. The management team should concentrate on the response and bear in mind what type of candidate they desire. This question allows school management to identify the talents and skills of the teacher being interviewed, as the question builds creativity and shows the interviewer if the candidate is suitable for the position he/she applies for (Gatewood, Field, & Barrick, 2015).

The combination of both formal and informal interview questions by Southwood is a good way of assessing the applicants. However, there should be a standard measurement criterion for all the candidates being interviewed. Namely, the score sheet where the panel of interviewers marks the performance of each candidate should sum up the total score of the selected candidate.

Furthermore, the interview questions must be brief and concise, meaning they must capture the intended objective of selecting the type of staff required by the school. In addition, the interview questions should make the candidates feel that their personal life does not influence their scores. The structure of the questions must be clear, and the time taken by the entire team of recruitment should not be too long. An interview should take five minutes at most; therefore, it must be well-planned.

To enhance the recruitment process efficiency, the school management team and the principal of Southwood School should incorporate more original questions in the interview. The questions that focus on curriculum, instructions, and assessments of students should be adopted by Southwood School to complement their current interview questions. The recommended items are the following:

1. Briefly explain the current curriculum development at the middle-level school that excites you.

2. According to your estimation, what assessment techniques can be applied in the determination of what students know and able to do (Mueller, 2014)?

3. What does the terminology “hands-on science” imply to you?

4. Briefly discuss your proficiency in the latest trends and the best practices that encompass reading, writing, and arithmetic (Parke, 2014).

5. What role does technology play in an elementary school? How does it support teaching and learning (Cavanaugh, 2015)?

The last question on the list provides the management team with insights on the ability of the presumed candidate to catch up with the evolving technology and apply his/her technical proficiency to boost the learning unit of Southwood School.

The suggested questions make the interviewer feel that the school environment of Southwood is not outdated and that the activities there are carried out in a modern setting. By combining the recommended questions with the existing logical questions used during the interview process by Southwood School, the school governing body can identify the best teacher that can join their mission.

Employee Orientation

Orientation is meant to make the new recruits feel welcomed and cared for. In the case of Southwood School, an agenda program should be developed, incorporating the history and future of the organization, the unique culture of the school, its core values and the manner in which the workflow is arranged in the organization. The employee orientation program shall enlighten the new staff about the school and its operations and grant them ample time to adjust to the new environment.

The agenda created is one full day activity. It aims at demonstrating how the responsibilities of the employee link to other departments of the organization. Thus, the employees shall encounter representatives from various departments within the school, such as finance, HR, Technology and the school governing body. According to the Southwood case study, the selection agenda was too prolonged and could spread to the next day. In contrast, the design of agenda below is inclusive of the most necessary activities and lasts a full day (Nikolaou, & Oostrom, 2015).

Title: Meeting with Human Resource

Time: 9.00am– 11.30am

The event entails welcoming new recruits to the school. The department involved in Human Resources. During this moment, the Human Resources department completes the relevant paperwork required to begin employment. In addition, its workers will screen the new employees to ensure reliance on the standards and requirements of the job positions. The department will also ensure that the new staffs comply with the employment and labor laws.

The meeting with the human resource personnel will benefit the new employees by helping them with the orientation in the duties, roles, and responsibilities that are associated with the positions. It will also help with the physical orientation in the new environment for employees to find their way around.

It is recommended for the supervisors to accompany the employees to the main locations, as it is at this time that the eligibility of the new recruits will be finalized. The employees will have a tour around the school, where they will interact with the subordinate staff of the school and a few students. The tour should also be arranged and conducted by HR.

Title: Meeting with the finance team

Time: 12.45pm– 1.30pm

The employees will be taken to the financial department. At this place, the new recruits get to know the head of the department and their roles in the school. For instance, the employees are taught about the compensation system, the payment dates and the reviews of their payments. In addition, the new recruits get to learn about the payment structure of Southwood School and how they can benefit from it.

Title: Familiarization with technology applications

Time: 1.30 pm – 3.00 pm

During the afternoon session, the employees will be familiarized with the available technological applications that the school management uses. They will gain insights on the significance of the newly adopted teaching and learning procedures, opportunities to build their career and the basic computer skills each teacher is expected to have. Moreover, the new recruits will learn how to give feedback on the new students’ performance and project the results that can be attained in the various units that they are to teach.

Title: Meeting with the School Administration

Time: 3.30pm– 4.30pm

The employees will then have time to encounter the school administration. Because they will be familiar with the relevant rules and the environment of Southwood School by that time, they shall be given time to ask any questions that occurred during their orientation process. In addition, the school principal will explain and emphasize the appropriate ethical standards that the new recruits must meet. For example, the employees will learn about how to maintain confidentiality on some issues and how to resettle disputes (Luisser, & Hendon, 2015).